I'm reading Cloud Atlas, after the movie previews got me interested in the books. It's a fantastic novel, one of the best I've read this year. I had slightly spoiled myself on some of the general plot details before reading the book, but that actually helped me to really appreciate the connections between the stories.

“It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness. That is life.” -Jean-Luc Picard

Joined: 2004-12-29 04:41pmPosts: 12166Location: Hiding a pot of gold at the end of the Ricci flow

Aside from work-related reading, like Topology and Geometry of 3-Manifolds by Thurston*, Methods of Modern Mathematical Physics by Reed and Simon, Fourier Series and Integrals by Dym and McKean ...

The Great Divergence by Pomeranz and The Glorious Appearing by LaHaye and Jenkins have been our regular read-aloud books. I'll let you all guess which one is for thought provocation and which one is for lulz.

* May he rest in peace

"... alas, too many people think consistency the hobgoblin of little minds." -Publius

Daily Nugget of Wisdom from Goldman Sachs:"I say 'keep the change' purely for my own convenience."

"A space shuttle on the back of an aircraft carrier in New York City is perhaps the most American thing you could have without the help of a deep fryer. I'm surprised anyone in the US opposes it." - Gandalf

Now reading (50%) "Feyvre Dream"By George R.R Martin. Mark Twain+Heart of Darkness+Tom Sawyer+Vampires+Martin brutalizing characters. Not bad so far, albeit not amazing. Martin's prose is typically fun, and i've been meaning to get around to it.

PhotographyGenius is always allowed some leeway, once the hammer has been pried from its hands and the blood has been cleaned up.To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.

Run, Swim, Throw, Cheat: The science behind drugs in sport Started reading it at the bookstore, couldn't put it down, bought it and spent the next few days studying it and thinking about it. Part 3 of the book raises some interesting questions, caffeine has performance enhancing benefits is legal yet other similar drugs are banned. Why? Yeah...

A great book about the Murmansk/Archangelsk convoys, excelling in its description of the bitter fight and cold. It might be the best work of MacLean, even better than the Guns of Navarone.

Whoever says "education does not matter" can try ignorance------------------A decision must be made in the life of every nation at the very moment when the grasp of the enemy is at its throat. Then, it seems that the only way to survive is to use the means of the enemy, to rest survival upon what is expedient, to look the other way. Well, the answer to that is 'survival as what'? A country isn't a rock. It's not an extension of one's self. It's what it stands for. It's what it stands for when standing for something is the most difficult! - Chief Judge Haywood

A great book about the Murmansk/Archangelsk convoys, excelling in its description of the bitter fight and cold. It might be the best work of MacLean, even better than the Guns of Navarone.

McLean's best books IMO are Where Eagles Dare and Ice Station Zebra. HMS Ulysees is noticeably different (but still good) given how obviously it reflects his time in the Navy and the general anger towards the institution.

I love the smell of September in the morning. Once we got off at Richmond, walked up to the 'G, and there was no game on. Not one footballer in sight. But that cut grass smell, spring rain...it smelt like victory.

Dynamic. When [Kuznetsov] decided he was going to make a difference, he did it...Like Ovechkin...then you find out - he's with Washington too? You're kidding. - Ron Wilson

More or less. The first three are a true trilogy, ending on cliffhangers, picking back up immediately after, and telling a fairly coherent story. After that, things feel more like spinoffs, and IMO the quality of the writing declines a bit too.

A great book about the Murmansk/Archangelsk convoys, excelling in its description of the bitter fight and cold. It might be the best work of MacLean, even better than the Guns of Navarone.

McLean's best books IMO are Where Eagles Dare and Ice Station Zebra. HMS Ulysees is noticeably different (but still good) given how obviously it reflects his time in the Navy and the general anger towards the institution.

Haven't read zebra, but Eagles suspended my disbelief too much with the whole commando raid into a German castle stuff.

Whoever says "education does not matter" can try ignorance------------------A decision must be made in the life of every nation at the very moment when the grasp of the enemy is at its throat. Then, it seems that the only way to survive is to use the means of the enemy, to rest survival upon what is expedient, to look the other way. Well, the answer to that is 'survival as what'? A country isn't a rock. It's not an extension of one's self. It's what it stands for. It's what it stands for when standing for something is the most difficult! - Chief Judge Haywood

Third of the way into Peter F Hamilton Great North Road, by the time I finish it Iain M Banks The Hydrogen Sonata will have autodownloaded

So I stare wistfully at the Lightning for a couple of minutes. Two missiles, sharply raked razor-thin wings, a huge, pregnant belly full of fuel, and the two screamingly powerful engines that once rammed it from a cold start to a thousand miles per hour in under a minute. Life would be so much easier if our adverseries could be dealt with by supersonic death on wings - but alas, Human resources aren't so easily defeated.

Just hit the final third of 'Shadows of Treachery' the latest Horus Heresy book. Really enjoyed the internal monologue of Dorn and his fears. Was also very chuffed to find most of the book is an IDB Night Lords novella.

Life and Fate by Vasily Grossman. I'm not very far into it but it's surprisingly readable so far, although keeping track of the characters is a bit tricky with all those lengthy Russian names to cope with.

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